VisualCV

As a freshman, I stepped into an interest meeting for the Public Relations Student Society of America out of curiosity and, admittedly, unaware of the precise nature of the industry.  I could not have anticipated how much I would gain from working with this organization - one of the largest chapters of this pre-professional society in the country. Some highlights include:

• Executive board positions: President (two terms), Vice President, Director of Chapter Development.  I have advocated for members of my chapter through these roles; providing them with chances to network and capitalize on professional development opportunities.
  
  
• National presentations:  Coordinated "How to Succeed in the Office: Definite Do's and Disastrous Don'ts" (Detroit, 2008), "Surfing for Success on the World Wide Web" (Philadelphia, 2007) and "Etiquette: It's Official!" (Salt Lake City, 2006) at PRSSA National Conferences.
  
  
• Oversaw the planning and implementation process for two regional activities held on Elon's campus.  "PR Outside the Box" (2009) and "The PR Amazing Race" (2008) brought professionals and students from regional colleges together for a day of educational and interactive sessions related to the industry.
  
  
• Directed a team of ten peers on a campaign for Elon's nationally-recognized Kernodle Center for Service Learning in 2006.
  
  
• Recognition: National President's Citation (2007), Presidential Service Award (2006 - 2008), Elon University's Student Officer of the Year (2009). 

I have interned in the Office of University Relations over the past three years.  Holding down a job at school that also provides me the chance to consistently develop my skills as a writer has been very rewarding.  In addition to traditional office tasks, my main responsibilities include:

• Generating feature stories for magazines, admissions materials and for online publication.
  
  Examples:
  
  http://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/news/at_elon/Feb08.pdf
  
  http://issuu.com/elonuniversity/docs/moe_winter_2008/39?zoomed=&zoomPercent=&zoomX=&zoomY=¬eText=¬eX=¬eY=&viewMode=magazine
  
  http://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/news/at_elon/Dec07.pdf
  
  http://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/news/at_elon/Dec08.pdf
  
  http://www.elon.edu/e-net/atelon/docs/march_07.pdf
  
  
• Writing the Elon University Poll news releases, which are distributed to the Associated Press and regional media outlets.
  
  Examples:
  http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Note.aspx?id=936098
  
  http://www.elon.edu/e-web/elonpoll/022709.xhtml
  
  http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/content/2008/nov/03/elon-poll-north-carolinians-displeased-tone-2008-c/news/

As one of two undergraduate interns with General Motors Communications, I worked closely with a team of experienced communicators to learn firsthand how an organization can leverage social media to initiate effective two-way dialogue with consumers.  My experience gave me the opportunity to serve as a face for GM at numerous exciting events (including the Woodward Dream Cruise and backstage at the Rothbury Music Festival), while gaining experience across different corporate communications functions and learning about the realities of today's business world in the face of uncertain economic conditions.  Some of my projects included:

• Leading social media outreach and securing positive brand coverage for the 2010 Camaro reveal.
• Supporting GM’s green initiatives by producing episodes of the “Chevy Fuel Solutions” podcast.
• Conceptualizing and generating content for the “I Am Next” campaign on GMnext.com.
• Collaborating with senior advisers on a proposal for a GM mobile phone application.

This internship allowed me to realize a dream of living in Manhattan, while gaining crucial experience on the account coordinator level for a global agency specializing in technology clients.  Some of my tasks included:

• Performing entry-level tasks for the Informatica, EarthLink, Lenovo, Manpower and Sony PSP accounts.
• Conducting research, producing written reports and dealing professionally with journalists through pitching and at media day events.
• Assisting with coordinating a large-scale event in the virtual world of Second Life.